Beer Served RareInvestigating the uncommon, unusual, and rare within the craft beer community.

Posts tagged “Farmer’s Reserve”

The season of sour continues! Almanac Beer Co. is unleashing another one of their popular barrel-aged Farm to Barrel beers in late April, as Farmer’s Reserve Blackberry returns to store shelves. This is a sour blonde ale aged in wine barrels with loads of local blackberries, coming in at 7% ABV.

Look for Farmer’s Reserve Blackberry in 375mL bottles and draft throughout California later this month. Check out the Almanac site to see where you can track these tasty gems down.

Commercial description:

We love blackberries. Tart, sweet and complex but guarded by thorny branches, these alluring fruit have been a favorite of ours since we added them to our very first beer. This sour blonde ale is infused with loads of coastal Blackberries from Swanton Berry Farm in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains and aged in wine barrels for many months. Pair with duck dishes and summer salads.

If you’ve been following along, Northern California’s Almanac Beer Company has continued to send shockwaves through the beer scene with their ongoing Farm to Barrel program. The series focuses on aging various wild ales in oak wine barrels while utilizing locally-sourced fruits and produce along with house yeast cultures and souring bacteria to create a unique drinking experience. The 12th installment in the adventure is nearly ready, as Farmer’s Reserve Pluot is scheduled to hit shelves in 375mL bottles beginning in late March 2014.

Farmer’s Reserve Pluot utilizes a variety of pluots which are grown and harvested each summer by Blossom Bluff Orchards in Parlier, CA. The fruit was added to a sour blonde ale and sent off to age in oak wine barrels to complete the latest Almanac wild ale.

Commercial description:

Pluots are some of our favorite fruits. Created by cross-breeding apricots and plums, there are dozens of varieties with an amazing range of color and flavor. All through the summer, Blossom Bluff Orchards picks each variety at its peak: Dapple Dandy, Honey Punch, Flavor Queen, Black Kat & Dapple Jack were all added to a sour blonde ale and aged in wine barrels to create this funky oak-aged brew. 7% ABV.